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Family History Documents and Artefacts => FH Documents and Artefacts => Topic started by: WideEyedGirl on Tuesday 31 May 16 12:49 BST (UK)
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Hello all,
This pocket watch was passed down to my parents when my grandfather passed away, but we don't know hardly anything about it. I've been trying to do some internet research on it but I don't know if I've gone off track (because quite frankly I don't have much of a clue about dating pocket watches!).
I'll leave some photos here, and some information about the detail on it in case the photos don't turn out great. :)
Holly
Inside of back cover:
4 hallmarks, one of a lion’s body with front leg raised (probably a standard silver mark indicating Sterling .925), one of either a crest or lion’s head, letter ‘A’ (according to http://www.925-1000.com/dlc_london.html the A looks most like that of the year 1876), and makers mark ‘L.W H.H’ The HH part, according to http://www.silvermakersmarks.co.uk/Makers/Sheffield-H.html#HH may refer to the Harrison Brothers who were based on Norfolk Street in Sheffield.
+ number 16297, with the letter D below.
+ series of scratched in marks, possibly from repair – looks like it says the following; ‘8177 [triangle] 54-7 1861-8 4754’
Opposite back cover inside:
+ [image of a crown] ‘Wm Brown 62 High Street Sheffield’
Side opposite inner watch mechanism:
+ three hallmarks, ‘L.W H.H’, and then two hallmarks as before of lion with raised front foot, and the capital letter A. Number 16297.
+ scratches into surface, very faint and hard to read. Possibly says ‘12177 GS’, and then ‘SWC 249B’ then possibly in tiny scratched in writing ‘211T816’ or ‘2 11 1816’. ‘11 3-15’ in bigger writing.
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I'm not an expert, but, looking through my book of silver marks, I would say this is
Louis Weill & Henry Harburg
London 1876
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I'm not an expert, but, looking through my book of silver marks, I would say this is
Louis Weill & Henry Harburg
London 1876
Thank you for this, I've never heard of Louis Weill and Henry Harburg before. And the date matches with what I had researched, so that's a good sign :)
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a picture of the watches movement, highlighting any embossed name and esp. any serial number might help ...
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a picture of the watches movement, highlighting any embossed name and esp. any serial number might help ...
The only numbers on the pocket watch are the ones mentioned in my original post - I believe the serial number may be 16297.
The pocket watch is no longer in working order, but a bit of the mechanism can be seen in the image below. Hope some of this helps.
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I was hoping for a serial number on the Movement .... which is quite a basic one, and key wound (vs later Stem wound & set models .... early USA manufacture late 1850s into 1860s are far more sophisticated) - similar to this pic of the movement of a Waltham (AWW Co Ltd) Crescent St Grade 18-size key wound model c1869-71 ...
http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTU5OVgxNjAw/z/xTsAAOSwIUNXF6qf/$_57.JPG
The 16297 just relates the case, and as expected is on both the inside back cover and the inner cuvette cover ...
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Hi Holly
Just read your post whilst searching for the silver mark of Loius Weil who was a relative of my husband 1884/1919. His family originally from the Rhineland area of Germany were watchmakers and rumour has it one brother moved to Geneva but we've not proven a link with Raymond yet! Loius moved to London as a young man where he became naturalised, married back in Germany but then he and his wife had no family. He had a company based in Covent Garden London whic was small but successful. I would really like to find a piece of his work so your photos are very interesting.